The Lower Sioux Community, the Southwest Regional Development Commission, and utility cooperatives like Great River Energy are all on the list of groups receiving a total of $6 million in grants from the Minnesota Department of Commerce.

The Department of Commerce announced last week that it had awarded grants to 25 community organizations and tribal nations through the State Competitiveness Fund. The local capacity grants will help recipients pursue federal clean energy funding opportunities.

“Local and tribal communities across Minnesota have bold and innovative ideas for their clean energy futures. With these grants, Commerce is supporting these communities to take action now,” said Commerce Commissioner Grace Arnold. “This announcement is one of the many ways that Commerce is helping Minnesotans to leverage the billions in federal clean energy funds.”

The local capacity grants range in amounts from $100,000 to $290,000, the Department of Commerce said. The list of 25 grant recipients includes all 10 of Minnesota’s regional development commissions, four tribal nations and the Midwest Tribal Energy Resources association, several nonprofit organizations, three utility groups, and the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

Grant recipients in southwest Minnesota included the Lower Sioux Community, the Southwest Regional Development Commission, and the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission. Utility organizations like the Minnesota Municipal Utilities Commission, the Minnesota Rural Electric Association and Great River Energy also received grants.

The grants funds will be used to help bring in grant writing expertise that communities and tribes do not have, the Department of Commerce said. The grants will also be used for grantees to engage their communities to determine what kinds of federal clean energy grant proposals to pursue. For the regional development commissions, that involves engaging multiple counties, dozens of cities and towns, schools and businesses, the Department of Commerce said.